This invention generally relates to wireless code division multiple access (CDMA) communication systems. In particular, the invention relates to scaling using gain factors during data detection in such systems.
In wireless CDMA communication systems, multiple communications are transmitted over a shared spectrum. The individual communications are distinguished by a code used to transmit each communication. In frequency division duplex (FDD) CDMA systems, uplink and downlink communications are separated by frequency spectrum. In time division duplex (TDD) CDMA or time division synchronous code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA) systems, uplink and downlink communications are separated by time.
One approach to receive communications in such systems is referred to as single user detection (SUD). In general, SUD is typically performed in a two part process. First, the received signal is equalized to compensate for the response of the wireless channel. Second, the equalized signal is despread using the codes of the user or users. SUD is typically utilized when all communications experience a same channel response. The preferred uses for the SUD is in the downlink and in the uplink when a single user monopolizes a frequency spectrum (in FDD) or time slot (in TDD or TD-SCDMA). Another approach to receive communications in such systems is referred to as multi-user detection (MUD). In MUD, the data from all users' data is estimated simultaneously.
In such systems, the individual communications, transmitted simultaneously, may have varying transmission power levels. To illustrate, in the uplink, a single User Equipment (UE) may transmit multiple coded composite transport channels (CCTrCHs). Each CCTrCH may have a differing quality of service (QOS), requiring a different transmit power level to reach the required QOS. In the downlink, each UE in addition to each individual UE's CCTrCH may require a differing transmission power level.
Due to the varying power levels between communications, the orthogonality between the received codes is degraded, reducing the performance of the data detection. Accordingly, it is desirable to have alternate approaches to data detection.